Patients with chronic cholestatic liver diseases face numerous challenges in the detection， assessment， and management of suspected drug-induced liver injury （DILI）， and in particular， it is difficult to distinguish cholestatic DILI from the progression of underlying cholestatic liver diseases clinically and histologically. Currently， there is a lack of related research and management guidelines for DILI with chronic cholestatic liver diseases. This article discusses the potential risks， causality， and classification criteria for chronic cholestatic liver diseases with DILI， in order to improve the understanding of such diseases among clinicians and provide a reference for prevention， treatment， and management strategies.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Fuzheng Huaji Formula （扶正化积方） for chronic hepatitis B to reduce the incidence of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted， collecting medical records of 118 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 234 patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis who visited the hospital between January 1， 2014， and December 31， 2018. The use of Fuzheng Huaji Formula was designated as the exposure factor. Patients receiving antiviral treatment for hepatitis B without concurrent Fuzheng Huaji Formula therapy were included in the western medicine group， while those receiving antiviral treatment combined with Fuzheng Huaji Formula for a cumulative treatment lasting longer than 3 months were included in the combined treatment group. The follow-up observation period was five years. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to examine the factors influencing the occurrence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. ResultsAmong patients with chronic hepatitis B， there were 55 cases in the combined treatment group and 63 cases in the western medicine group； among patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis， there were 110 cases in the combined treatment group and 124 cases in the western medicine group. Five-year follow-up outcomes for chronic hepatitis B patients showed that the cumulative incidence of cirrhosis was 5.45% （3/55） in the combined treatment group and 17.46% （11/63） in the western medicine group， with a statistically significant difference between groups （Z = 2.003， P = 0.045）. Five-year follow-up outcomes for hepatitis B-related cirrhosis patients showed that the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was 8.18% （9/110） in the combined treatment group and 22.58% （28/124） in the western medicine group， also showing a statistically significant difference （Z = 3.007， P = 0.003）. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that treatment with Fuzheng Huaji Formula is an independent protective factor in preventing the progression of chronic hepatitis B to cirrhosis and the progression of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma （P＜0.05）. ConclusionCombining Fuzheng Huaji Formula with antiviral therapy for hepatitis B can effectively intervene in the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B， reducing the incidence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab （RTX） in the treatment of primary Sjögren syndrome （pSS）. METHODS Randomized controlled trials （RCTs） on the effects of RTX （trial group） versus placebo （control group） in the treatment of pSS were searched from the Cochran Library， PubMed， Embase， Medline， Web of Science， VIP， CNKI， Wanfang， and other databases during the inception to February 2024. After literature screening and quality evaluation， meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS Seven RCTs were finally included， involving a total of 518 patients. Results of meta-analysis showed that European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren syndrome disease activity index （ESSDAI） score [MD＝－1.17， 95%CI（－1.52， －0.82）， P＜0.000 01] and oral dryness visual analogue scale （VAS） score [MD＝－3.97， 95%CI （－5.08， －2.86）， P＜0.000 01] in the trial group were significantly lower than the control group； unstimulated salivary flow rate [SMD＝0.64， 95%CI（0.41， 0.87）， P＜0.000 01] and Schirmer score [MD＝0.19， 95%CI（0.18， 0.20）， P＜0.000 01] were significantly higher than the control group. There was no statistical significance in response rate [RD＝0.10， 95%CI（－0.04， 0.23）， P＝0.16]， fatigue VAS score [MD＝－12.50， 95%CI（－35.14， 10.15）， P＝0.28]， European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren syndrome patient reported index （ESSPRI） score [MD＝0.33， 95%CI（－0.53， 1.18）， P＝0.46]， Short-form 36 health survey physical component summary （SF36-PCS） score [MD＝0.90， 95%CI（－2.97， 4.78）， P＝0.65]， SF-36 mental component summary （SF36-MCS） score [MD＝0.11， 95%CI（－0.41， 0.63）， P＝0.68]， total salivary gland ultrasound score [SMD＝－1.91， 95%CI（－4.01， 0.19）， P＝0.07] or the incidence of adverse drug reactions [OR＝1.15，95%CI（0.62，2.13），P＝0.66] between 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS RTX has advantages in the improvement of ESSDAI score， unstimulated salivary flow rate， Schirmer score and oral dryness VAS score in pSS patients， and has a good safety profile. However， it did not exhibit significant improvement in fatigue VAS score， ESSPRI score， SF36-PCS score， SF36-MCS score or response rates.

Primary liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system， and the “inflammation-to-cancer transformation” （ICT） of chronic hepatitis is the core pathological process of the progression of chronic hepatitis to liver cancer. Persistent and uncontrolled liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis often leads to repeated liver tissue damage and repair， which gradually develops into liver fibrosis and cirrhosis， eventually leading to malignant transformation through the mechanisms such as gene mutation and microenvironment imbalance. ICT in chronic hepatitis is the key link between chronic hepatitis and liver cancer， and its dynamic evolution involves various pathogenic factors such as dampness， heat， deficiency， toxin， and stasis； among which damp-heat and vital energy deficiency are the initiating factors for ICT of chronic hepatitis， while intermingled stasis and toxin are the key pathological products that promote malignant transformation. Based on the concept of preventive treatment， traditional Chinese medicine can effectively delay and even block the ICT of chronic hepatitis by regulating inflammation， metabolism， and abnormal cell proliferation through multiple targets， which provides important strategies and research directions for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Polygonum multiflorum （PM）， a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in clinical practice， has been associated with frequent reports of liver injury in recent years， and the medication safety of PM has attracted more and more attention in China and globally. This article reviews the recent research advances in the signaling pathways and mechanisms of PM in causing drug-induced liver injury （DILI） and aims to provide new ideas for the proper and rational use of PM in clinical practice. The results show that PM is involved in the regulation of various signaling pathways， and it leads to the death of hepatocytes by destroying mitochondrial function， exacerbating bile acid accumulation， and inducing immune response， oxidative stress， and endoplasmic reticulum stress， thereby inducing the development and progression of DILI through multiple targets， pathways， and levels.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between urinary thallium （TL） and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. MethodsRelated data were collected from the registered participants aged ≥18 years in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2017 to 2020， with th exclusion of the individuals with a lack of liver transient elastography data and urinary TL indicators and those with hepatitis B， hepatitis C or significant alcohol consumption. A total of individuals were divided into NAFLD group and non-NAFLD group. Urinary TL level was quantitatively measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry and online solid-phase extraction combined with isotope dilution. The two groups were compared in terms of age， sex， race， marital status， education， family income poverty impact ratio （FMPIR）， body mass index （BMI）， smoking， alcohol consumption， diabetes mellitus （DM）， hypertension （HTN）， hyperlipidemia （HL）， and urinary TL level. The independent-samples t test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Descriptive analysis， multivariable Logistic regression， restricted cubic spline regression analysis， subgroup analysis， and interaction analysis were conducted to investigate the risk association between urinary TL and NAFLD. ResultsA total of 2 511 individuals were included， with 1 612 （64.20%） in the NAFLD group and 899 （35.80%） in the non-NAFLD group， and the NAFLD group had a significantly higher urinary TL level than the non-NAFLD group ［0.18 （0.11‍ ‍— ‍0.26）μg/L vs 0.16 （0.09 — ‍0.25）μg/L， Z=-2.76， P=0.01］. After adjustment for the covariates of age， sex， race， education， marital status， FMPIR， BMI， smoking， alcohol consumption， DM， HTN， and HL， the urinary TL Q4 group had a significant increase in the risk of NAFLD （odds ratio ［OR］=1.90， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.48‍ — ‍2.44， P<0.01）. There was a positive dose-response relationship （P<0.01） and a non-linear relationship （P<0.01） between urinary TL and the risk of NAFLD. A significant interaction was observed between urinary TL and smoking/BMI （P<0.05）. For individuals taking ≥100 cigarettes in their lifetime， the risk of NAFLD was increased by 50% for every quartile increase in urinary TL （OR=1.50， 95%CI： 1.24‍ — ‍1.80）， and for individuals taking<100 cigarettes in their lifetime， the risk of NAFLD was increased by 20% for every quartile increase in urinary TL （OR=1.20， 95%CI： 1.03‍ — ‍1.40）； for individuals with a BMI of ≥30 kg/m²， the risk of NAFLD was increased by 30% for every quartile increase in urinary TL （OR=1.30， 95%CI： 1.05‍ — ‍1.70）， with a statistical significance （P<0.05）. ConclusionUrinary TL level is significantly associated with the risk of NAFLD.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the seventh most common malignant tumor in the world, with a 5-year survival rate of only about 50%. Thus, discovering more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is an urgent need. The metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells is a key feature in the development of HNSCC, which widely exhibits alterations in glycolytic metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism compared with normal cells. Metabolic reprogramming affects the energy supply and biosynthesis of tumor cells. It also participates in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment and promotes key biological processes such as proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of HNSCC. With the progressive understanding of the complexity of tumor biology, targeted-therapy strategies against metabolic reprogramming in HNSCC are emerging as a promising therapeutic approach. These metabolically targeted therapies have performed well in preclinical studies, but their clinical application requires further validation. In the future, we need to deeply explore the more complex features of metabolic reprogramming and its biological significance in HNSCC, with the aim of discovering more effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets, as well as providing new strategies to improve the prognosis of HNSCC patients.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism Baitouweng Decoction on mice with vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC)based on phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)-hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)pathway.METHODS Female SPF-grade Kunming mice were injected subcutaneously with estradiol benzoate and vaginally inoculated with Candida albicans suspension to establish a VVC mouse model.The mice with successful modeling were randomly divided into model group,high-,me-dium-,and low-dose Baitouweng Decoction groups(23.4,11.7,and 5.85 g·kg-1),and fluconazole group(0.02 g·kg-1),with 20 mice in each group.Another 20 mice were injected with estradiol benzoate as control group.Treatment started the day after success-ful model establishment and continued for 14 days.Two hours after the last administration,the number of neutrophils in vaginal lavage fluid was examined with Papanicolaou stain.The HE staining method was used to observe the morphology of vaginal tissue.ELISA was used to measure the levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleo-tide phosphate oxidase 2(NOX2),reactive oxygen species(ROS),su-peroxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA)in the vaginal tissues.The mRNA expression levels of PI3K,AKT and HIF-1α were detected using qPCR.Western blot was employed to evaluate the protein expression of p-PI3K,PI3K,p-AKT,AKT,and HIF-1α in vaginal tissue.RESULTS Compared to the control group,the model group exhibited a significant increase in neutrophils in va-ginal lavage fluid(P<0.001);the vaginal mucosal layer was severely desquamated and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated.Additionally,there was an elevation in NOX2,ROS,and MDA levels in vaginal tissue(P<0.001),while SOD content decreased(P<0.001).Furthermore,the mRNA expression of PI3K,AKT and HIF-1α was reduced along with decreased protein ex-pression of p-PI3K/PI3K,p-AKT/AKT,and HIF-1α(P<0.001).In comparison to the model group,both high-dose and medi-um-dose groups treated with Baitouweng Decoction demonstrated a significant decrease in neutrophil count in lavage fluid(P<0.01,P<0.001);the condition of the vaginal mucosa improved to varying degrees.Moreover,the levels of ROS and MDA in vaginal tissue were reduced(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001),the activity of NOX2 was decreased(P<0.01,P<0.001),and the activity of SOD was increased(P<0.01,P<0.001).The high-dose group showed that,the mRNA expression of PI3K,AKT,and HIF-1α in vaginal tissue was increased(P<0.001),the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT,and the protein expression of HIF-1α were increased(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Baitouweng Decoction has a therapeutic effect on VVC,and its mechanism of action may be related to the PI3K/AKT-HIF-1α signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the association between urinary lead and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Methods The participants,aged≥18 years,were selected from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES),with the exclusion of the participants with a lack of liver transient elastography data and urinary lead markers and those with hepatitis B,hepatitis C,and significant alcohol consumption.A total of 2 492 participants were enrolled and divided into NAFLD group with 852 participants and non-NAFLD group with 1 640 participants.High-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry and online solid-phase extraction combined with isotope dilution were used to measure urinary lead level.The independent-samples t test or the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups,and the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis,restricted cubic spline,subgroup analysis,and interaction analysis were used to investigate the association between urinary lead and NAFLD.Results The NAFLD group had a significantly higher urinary lead level than the non-NAFLD group(Z=-2.023,P=0.043).After adjustment of the covariates of age,sex,race,marital status,education,family income-to-poverty ratio,body mass index,smoking,drinking,diabetes mellitus,hypertension,and hyperlipidemia,there was a significant increase in the risk of NAFLD in the Q3 urinary lead group(odds ratio[OR]=1.360,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.019-1.817,P=0.037).There was a positive dose-response relationship between urinary lead and the risk of NAFLD(P=0.047),which was a non-linear relationship(Pnon-linear=0.037).There was a significant interaction between urinary lead and race,and for every quartile increase in urinary lead,the risk of NAFLD in Mexican-Americans was increased by 32.40%(OR=1.324,95%CI:1.017-1.632,P<0.05).Conclusion Urinary lead level is significantly associated with the risk of NAFLD.

Objective To investigate the differences in health empowerment,perceived control and experiential avoidance between patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)with type D personality and non-type D personality. Methods From January to October,2022,using the convenient sampling method,a questionnaire survey was conducted on 195 patients with CHD from Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University.Assessment tools in-cluded Type D Personality Scale,Chinese Version of Patient Perception Empowerment Scale(CV-PPES),Con-trol Attitudes Scale-Revised(CAS-R)and Acceptance Action Questionnaire-Ⅱ(AAQ-Ⅱ). Results A total of 185 effective questionnaires were returned,and 68 patients with type D personality.Compared with the patients with non-type D personality,the scores of negative affectivity and social inhibition were higher(|t|＞9.783,P＜0.001),the total score of CV-PPES and the scores of four dimensions(information,decision,individu-al and self-management)were lower(t＞5.843,P＜0.001),the score of CAS-R was lower(t=2.858,P=0.005),and the score of AAQ-Ⅱ was higher(t=-9.414,P＜0.001)in CHD patients with type D personality. Conclusion Compared with non-D-type patients,CHD patients with D-type personality exhibit lower levels of health empowerment and perceived control,and higher level of experiential avoidance,which may negatively impact on health behaviors.